B&N makes NOOK Simple Touch GlowLight price cut official

Barnes & Noble has made the expected NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight price cut official, rising to the challenge set by Amazon’s new Kindle Paperwhite. The NOOK – which, as with Amazon’s new ereader, has an illuminated display for nighttime reading – has been cut to a Kindle-matching $119, down twenty bucks from its launch price. However, B&N claims, the bargain doesn’t end there.

In fact, the bookseller would rather you look at exactly what you get for your money – and what you don’t get. The NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight, for instance, includes an AC adapter, whereas Amazon only includes a microUSB cable for recharging the Kindle Paperwhite; adding the official Amazon adapter is $9.99 more, though of course the Kindle should work with most generic USB chargers.

Meanwhile, B&N’s ereader doesn’t have any sponsored adverts, unlike the $119 Kindle. Amazon offers the option to do away with ads, but that will cost you another $20. Whether they frustrate you – the promoted content shows up on the lock screen, but not within ebooks themselves – depends on how willing you are to give up space in your home for commercials.

Of course, those upgrading from an existing Kindle or NOOK probably already know which model they want: they’ve likely bought into an ecosystem of ebooks already. Books purchased on Amazon’s store won’t work on B&N’s ereader hardware, and vice-versa. You can find our review of the Kindle Paperwhite here.